(a) Technical Field
The present invention relates to a backlight assembly, and more particularly, to a backlight assembly in which light can be uniformly distributed.
(b) Discussion of the Related Art
A display device is an element of a computer monitor, a television, a mobile phone, etc. which is capable of displaying an image. Display devices are widely used today. There are many different types of display devices, such as, a cathode ray tube (CRT) display device, a liquid crystal display (LCD), a plasma display device, and the like.
A liquid crystal display panel, which is one of the more common types of flat panel displays currently in use, includes two display panels with field generating electrodes such as a pixel electrode and a common electrode and a liquid crystal layer interposed therebetween. The liquid crystal display generates an electric field in the liquid crystal layer by applying a voltage to the field generating electrodes. The generated electric filed determines the alignment of liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer and accordingly controls polarization of incident light, thereby displaying images.
Since the liquid crystal display does not self-emit light, the liquid crystal display needs a light source. The light source may either be an artificial light source or a natural light source. Where an artificial light source is used, a light guide plate (LOP) is used to distribute the generated light to provide a uniform luminance over the entire display panel.
The artificial light source used in the liquid crystal display may be a light emitting diode (LED), a cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL), an external electrode fluorescent lamp (EDI), or the like.